I'm genuinely a bit puzzled here so would appreciate your views.
Last week our plumber came to service our boiler. We've just moved so it was the first service in this house, but he'd been coming to our old house (10 mins away) for years. We've called him out for emergencies in the past maybe a couple of times, but broadly we just see him annually for the service. He's always been very friendly and we chat a fair bit while he's working.
Our new house has a large appliance which is also connected to the gas, so after he'd checked the boiler, and had a quick look around the rest of the house to check the loft tank, bathroom tank etc, he told me he needed to turn off the large appliance to check the gas. I asked (casually) if he knew how to do it because I didn't, and he said yes. It also has instructions written on it, I discovered later.
Anyway, when he went to turn it back on, a valve broke so he couldn't. I called the guy who had serviced the appliance when we moved in a few months ago, and they talked for a few minutes about what had happened. The appliance guy said it was a fairly common problem and a bit of a design flaw, and that he'd come the next day to fix it.
It ended up costing over £200 as the part is crazily expensive. The plumber texted to ask how we'd got on and I said pretty much that. He replied saying something like "ouch, sorry". He then emailed me his invoice for the service, again apologising for adding to my invoices.
AIBU to have expected him to offer to contribute to the repair cost? I texted him to say I was surprised to receive his invoice and had expected at least a conversation about him contributing. I said I didn't expect him to cover the full cost, although I think some people in my position might. He replied very politely but basically saying that his service had highlighted a fault, and that was pretty much that.
AIBU here? I try and treat people fairly and it really bothers me to be at odds with anyone so it's really weighing on my shoulders.